Dump bailer



Oct. 18, 1960 Filed April 4, 1958 L. w. Tol-:LKE

DUMP BAILER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 18, 1960 L. w. TOELKE 2,956,624

DUMP BAILER Filed April 4, 1958 3 Sheets-SheefI 2 0st. 18, 1960 x.. w. ToELKE DUMP BAILER Filed April 4, 1958 :s sheets-sheet s f7z verzfw/s eszzer 75g/Ke United States Patent O DUMP BAILER Lester W. Toelke, Houston, Tex., assignor to Great Lakes Carbon Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 4, 195s, ser. No. 726,360

16 claims. (ci. 16s- 63)- This invention relates to a well tool designed for the running and dumping of substances, either liquid or solid, in well bores. More particularly, this invention relates to a device known as a dump bailer which is employed in depositing various substances such as cement, sand and gravel, liquid or semi-liquid chemicals and plastic materials for the purpose of plugging, sealing or otherwise treating well bores.

The present invention will be described as being particularly suitable for the lowering, dumping and depositing of cement or gravel into a well at a certain predetermined point, although it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to the transporting of chemicals and plastic materials for the treating, plugging and sealing of well bores.

The use of a dump bailer generally follows the placement of a bridge plug in order to facilitate cement placement to minimize or prevent leakage of uids, such as drilling muds, from the well. A dump bailer is also used to place gravel in a well for gravel packing a formation and for use as a shot tamping medium, the latter practice being employed in geophysical work and where nitroglycerine is employed for shooting wells. However, the most common use for the dump bailer of the present invention is the placement of cement on top of a bridge plug where a well bore is to be abandoned.

The majority of dump bailers presently in use require a solid bottom on which to set down in order to release a mechanical valve or similar device to permit dumping of the material from the bailer. Mechanical release bottom bailers cannot, therefore, be used for more than one run when cement is dumped. Another dump bailer design requires the use of a glass container placed inside a steel housing Which has a closed bottom. The housing has slots or windows which permit the cement to flow out after the glass liner has been shattered, usually by explosive means. This particular design has certain limitations because the viscosity and weight of the cement, if high, will inhibit proper discharge and placement of the cement from the bailer.

The present invention has for its principal object the elimination of the difficulties of the above described devices and provides a means whereby the contents of the bailer can be released and deposited in the well bore in an effective as well as simple manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a dump bailer mechanism which eliminates the requirements for solid bottoms in well bores which are required to actuate mechanical release bottom bailers.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a dump bailer which has a completely removable bottom and can be withdrawn from the well bore with the tubular portion of the dump bailer in a full-open position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a dump bailer mechanism which, when withdrawn from the Well bore, will permit the well iluid to wash through the tubular portion of the dump bailer and exit from the bottom 2,956,624 yPatented Oct. 18, 1960 ICC thereof without restriction, thereby removing the entire contents of the bailer quickly and effectively.

The above and more specific objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings which illustrate a particularly useful embodiment of the invention.

Broadly speaking the present invention consists of a dump bailer which combines certain standard features heretofore known in devices of this type together with innovations which form the basis of the invention. The conventional portions of the dump bailer include a tubular body and a closure for the upper end of the body including means for securing the tubular body to a loweringV cable equipped with electric-current carrying `leads which traverse the tubular body from top to bottom. The tubular body is characterized by at least one opening or window in the wall which facilitates loading of the materials into the dump bailer and also permits access of well fluids into the dump bailer after the contents thereof have been dumped and placed in the well bore. The essence of the present invention lies in a combination, with the foregoing elements, which comprises a separate bottom closure abutting the bottom end face of the tubular bailer body, a support means for the bottom Yclosure substantially diametrally intersecting the bore of the tubular, body and iixed to the inside Walls thereof and positionedl above the bottom plate, yand means for connecting the bottom closure to the support means to hold the bottom closure in abutting relationship, and preferably under compression, against the open end face of the tubular body. The present invention is further characterized by the requirement that the means for connecting the bottom closure to the just-referred-to support means must be constructed of a frangible material which is adapted to shatter when an explosive, maintained in contact with the .connecting means, is fired. The explosion fragments the connecting means thereby severing the connection between the bottom closure and the superimposed supporting means to release the bottom closure and evacuate the contents of the dump bailer into the well bore.

Reference is now made to the drawings which illus-V trate particularly useful forms of the invention;

Figure 1 is a vertical section of one form ofthe dump* bailer of the invention; l Figures 2 and 3 are sections taken along the lines 2--2 and 3--3, respectively, of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section of the bottom portion of the dump bailer positioned inside a well bore casin-g, and illustrating the condition of the bailer afterY In the drawings, the bailer which is designated generally by the numeral 10, is secured to a conventional universal rope socket 11 employed to lower the device into a well casing. The dump bailer comprises one or more tubular sections 17 which are fastened together by means of connectors 19, and to the rope socket by means of top closure connector 13. The connectors and tubular sections are preferably joined by spot welding 33. stood that as many sections of pipe and connectors may be employed as is desirable to provide a container of suitable leugth to carry the desired amount of material to be dumped and placed in the Well bore.. The rope socket 11 is secured in the upper portion of the bailer by a suitable top closure plug 13 by means of threaded, fluid-tight collar 12. An electrical connection is made at the end of the rope socket lead wire connector 14. Where the lead It will be under- Wire 16 emerges from the top closure connector a seal of plastic material and seal nut are used to form a fluidand pressure-tight seal. The lead wire 16 is then threaded down through the tubular sections of the bailer to the bottom thereof. The tubular sections of the bailer are provided with openings 18 through which material is introduced into the dump bailer as by means of a funnel.

The foregoing components of the dump bailer are conventional.Y

lThe bottom portion of the dump bailer, which is the essence of the present invention, comprises a sleeve which is threadably or otherwise secured to an adapterconnector 19 (as in Fig. l). Alternatively, the sleeve may be secured directly `to the bottom tubular section 17, as shown in Fig. 5. On the open bottom end of the sleeve is placed a bottom closure 28. In operation of the bailer, the bottom closure which may be a plate 2S (Figs. l, and 3 to 5) or a cup or dish-shaped receptacle 40 (Fig. 6) will be held against the bottom or open end face of the sleeve 20, preferably under compression, in order to prevent loss of solids or liquids which are held inside the sleeve 2t) and the tubular sections 17. The sleeve 20 is provided with a substantially diametrally disposed support bar such as a rod 21 which is xed to the Walls of the sleeve. In the embodiments shown in the drawings the sleeve contains two oppositely disposed holes 23 which are countersunk on the outside wall of the sleeve 20. The support bar is retained in position by extending the threaded ends of the bar through the holes of the sleeve and securing them by means of nuts 23a which are drawn up against the shoulder of the countersunk holes 23. There is further provided a connecting rod or shear pin 24 which communicates between the bottom plate 28 or cup 40 and the support bar 21, and means cooperating with the connecting rod to maintain the bottom plate 28 or cup 40 under compression against the open end face of the sleeve 20. In the embodiment shown in the drawings this cooperating means consists of la retaining nut 29 which is threadably secured to one end of the shear pin 24 which protrudes through a hole provided in bottom plate 28 or cup 40. The shear pin is secured to the support bar and the bottom plate is placed under compression by drawing up nut 29 against the outside face of the bottom plate.

The drawings show a particularly desirable means for securing the shear pin 24 to the supporting bar 21 which is accomplished by drilling an aperture 22 diametrally through the upper portion of the shear pin slightly larger than the diameter of the support bar 21 and then sliding the support bar through the aperture.

It vshould be emphasized that the connecting rod or shear pin 24 is constructed of frangible material, such as aluminum metal or plastic material and which is capable of shattering upon the tiring of an explosive cartridge 2S which is maintained in contact with the shear pin. A preferred means for maintaining this contact is to drill a diametral aperture 26 in the shear pin and insert the explosive cartridge connected to the electric lead wire 16, employing a rubber sleeve connection 27.

The above described device is operated in the following manner. The bailer is assembled as shown and the electric lead wire is threaded through the bailer and attached to the explosive cartridge 25 by means of Waterproof rubber sleeve connection 27. The support bar 21 is placed through the holes 23 of sleeve 20 and through the aperture 22 of shear pin 24 and is then secured by nuts 23a. The explosive cartridge 25 is placed in aperture 26 of the shear pin and laced into position with the ground lead, which has had the insulation removed. The bottom plate 28 or cup 40 is then placed over the lower threaded end of the shear pin and nut 29 is drawn up on the pin against the outside face of the bottom closure to place the shear pin under tension and the bottom closure under compression. This forms a leak-proof seal for the contents of .the bailer. The bailer is then placed in .a

well bore with the opening or Windovtr section 18 just above the casing head. The bailer is lilled with cement or lother material and then lowered to the desired elevation. The conductor cable is energized resulting in detonation of the explosive cartridge 25. As shown in Figure 4, the explosion shears the connecting bar 24 allowing the bottom plate 28 to fall away freely, thereby aifording a full open bottom in the bailer, permitting the cement or gravel 32, or other material, to evacuate into the casing 30 placed in Well bore 31. The bottom plate and a portion of the shear pin will remain in the hole but because these parts are usually made of aluminum or other soft material they will not interfere with subsequent operations.

In the event that the bailer is to be used for dumping acid a cast iron bottom closure and shear pin can be used and the explosive cartridge would be encased in appropriate resistant material.

.In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, the sleeve 20 is secured to the bottom tubular section of the bailer 17 by means of a connector adapter 19. The connector is fastened to the tubular section 17 by means of spot Welding 'and the sleeve 2i) is fastened to adapter 19 by means of a slip-tit. A iluidtight joint is obtained by means of a compression O-ring 42 which sets in a peripheral depression near the bottom of the adapter. It should be understood, however, that the use of connector adapter 19 is optional and if desired the sleeve 20 can be secured directly to the bailer body as indicated in Figure 5.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Figure 6 is further characterized by the use of a cupor dishshaped closure 4@ in place of the plate-closures 28 shown in Figures l and 3 to 5. The dish-shaped closure 40 is placed in abutting relationship with the bottom open end of the sleeve 20 as has been previously discussed. In a preferred embodiment of this modilication of the invention, the bottom open end of the sleeve 2e is provided with a shoulder 41 and a compressible O-ring 41a is placed in this shoulder and is compressed when the closure 40 is drawn up tight against the bottom peripheral edge of the sleeve 20 by means of 4adjusting nut 29.

Figure 5 illustrates the embodiment of the invention in accordance with the previous description in which the connector-adapter 19 is eliminated and the sleeve 20 is secured directly to the bottom tubular section 17 of the bailer, for example by means of spot welding 33.

It will be understood that various changes and modications may be made in the details which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. For example, the quantity of the explosive required to shear the connecting bar 24 will be variable depending upon the materials of construction and the cross-sectional area to be shattered. While aluminum is the preferred material for the connecting bar it is to be understood that other frangible materials may also be employed. The explosive may also be aiixed to the connecting bar 24 by means other than insertion in a drilled aperture.

It will, therefore, be seen that the bailer of the present invention eliminates undesirable characteristics of the bailers of the prior art. As many runs can be made as desired with the bailer of the present invention without a well bottom. Furthermore, when the bailer is withdrawn, the well fluid will wash through the window of the tubular sections and out the bottom of the bailer without restriction, thereby removing the entire contents of the bailer quickly and effectively.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my previously filed application for Dump Bailer, Serial No. 647,383, filed March 2G, 1957, now abandoned.

Having thus described, both generally and specifically, the details of the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters vPatent is:

l. In -a dump bailer for wells including a tubular body, a closure for the lupper end of said body including means for securing said body to a lowering cable equipped with electric current-carrying leads which traverse said body, and at least one opening in the wall of said body intermediate said closure and the bottom of the bailer; the improvement comprising a bottom closure held under compression against the bottom end face of said tubular body, supporting means substantially diametrally intersecting the bore and lixed to the opposite walls of said tubular body above the bottom closure, means connecting the bottom closure to the supporting means and maintaining said closure in abutting relationship against the bottom end face of the tubular body, said connecting means being constructed of frangible material, and an electrically tired explosive charge maintained in contact with said connecting means adapted to shatter the same upon iiring of the explosive whereby said bottom closure is released.

2. In a dump bailer for wells including a tubular body, a closure for the upper end of said body including means for securing said body to a lowering cable equipped with electric current-carrying leads which traverse said body, and at least one opening in the Wall of said body intermediate said closure and the bottom of the bailer; the improvement comprising a bottom plate held under cornpression against the bottom end face of said tubular body, a support rod positioned substantially diametrally within the bore above the bottom plate and iixed to the walls of the tubular body, a connecting rod connecting the bottom plate to the support rod and maintaining the bottom plate under compression against the bottom end face of the tubular body, said connecting rod being constructed of frangible material, and an electrically red explosive charge maintained in contact with said connecting means adapted to shatter the same upon ring of the explosive whereby said bottom plate is released.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 where the connecting rod contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the connecting rod contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod and an aperture in which the explosive is positioned and secured.

5. In a dump bailer for wells including a tubular body, a closure for the upper end of said body including means for securing said body to a lowering cable equipped with electric current-carrying leads which traverse said body and at least one opening in the wall of said body intermediate said closure and the bottom of the bailer; the improvement comprising a sleeve secured to the bottom of said tubular body, a bottom plate held under compression against the bottom end face of the sleeve, a support rod positioned substantially diametrally within the bore above the bottom plate and ixed to the walls of the sleeve, a connecting rod connecting the bottom plate to the support rod and maintaining the bottom plate under compression against the bottom end face of the sleeve, said connecting rod being constructed of frangible material, and an electrically fired explosive charge maintained in contact with said connecting rod adapted to shatter the same upon tiring of the explosive whereby said bottom plate is released.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the connecting rod contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the connecting rod contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod and an aperture in which the explosive is positioned and secured.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the sleeve is secured to the bottom of the tubular body by means of an adapter.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the connecting rod contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod, the latter intersecting the walls of the tubular body and being secured at each end by means on the outside surface of the tubular body.

l0. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the connecting rod is constructed of aluminum and contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod and an aperture in which the explosive is positioned and secured.

ll. In a dump bailer for wells including a tubular body, a closure for the upper end of said body including means for securing said body to a lowering cable equipped with electric current-carrying leads which traverse said body and at least one opening in the wall of said body intermediate said closure and the bottom of the bailer; the improvement comprising a sleeve secured to the bottom of said tubular body, a dish-shaped bottom closure held under compression against the bottom end face of the sleeve, a support rod positioned substantially diametrally within the bore above the bottom closure and fixed to the walls of the sleeve, a connecting rod connecting the bottom closure to the support rod and maintaining the bottom closure under compression against the bottom end face of the sleeve, said connecting rod being constructed of frangible material and an electrically iired explosive charge maintained in contact with said connecting rod adapted to shatter the same upon firing of the explosive whereby said bottom closure is released.

l2. Apparatus according to claim 1l wherein the connecting rod contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod and an aperture in which the explosive is positioned and secured.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1l in which the sleeve is secured to the bottom of the tubular body by means of an adapter.

14. Apparatus according to claim ll wherein the connecting rod contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod, the latter intersecting the walls of the tubular body and being secured at each end by means on the outside surface of the tubular body.

l5. Apparatus according to claim l1 wherein the connecting =rod is constructed of aluminum and contains an aperture which slidably receives the support rod and an aperture in which the explosive is positioned and secured.

16. Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the bottom edge of the sleeve is provided with a recessed shoulder at its inner peripheral edge and a compressible sealing means is placed on said shoulder which will form a substantially iluid-tight seal when the upper edge of the bottom closure is placed under compression against the bottom end face of the sleeve.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

